MWO Abu Dhabi: No Appointment, No Entry
Department of Migrant Workers · employment
Quick answer
The Migrant Workers Office in Abu Dhabi charges AED 40.00 to verify an employment contract and AED 92.00 for OWWA membership, cash only. It strictly enforces a No Appointment, No Entry policy and takes walk-ins 1 to 3 working days before a confirmed flight.
Every figure on this page is from Migrant Workers Office Abu Dhabi's own published documents.
Last verified 1 source, listed below
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The Migrant Workers Office in Abu Dhabi is stricter about access than most posts, and it says so in capitals. Turning up without meeting its conditions means not getting in.
The fees
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Verification of employment contract | AED 40.00 |
| OWWA membership | AED 92.00 |
Payment is cash only. The verification fee matches what MWO Dubai charges for on-site processing, so the price is consistent across the UAE even though the offices are separate. The MWO Dubai guide covers the northern emirates.
No Appointment, No Entry
Please be advised that we are strictly implementing the “No Appointment, No Entry”.
For contract verification and OWWA membership the office also requires confirmed flight tickets with receipt. So two conditions, not one: an appointment and proof you are actually flying.
The window
| When | Hours | 24-hour |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 11am to 1pm | 11:00 to 13:00 |
| Friday | 10am to 11am only | 10:00 to 11:00 |
| How far ahead | 1 to 3 working days before the flight | - |
The Friday slot is a single hour. The weekday window is 2 hours. That subtraction is arithmetic on the published times.
The 1 to 3 working days rule cuts both ways: too early is as much a problem as too late, because the office is working from your confirmed flight date.
Who this office is for
| Situation | Where you go |
|---|---|
| Working in Abu Dhabi Emirate, Al Ain or Abu Dhabi visa holder | MWO Abu Dhabi |
| Dubai visa holder with a Tadbeer Dubai employer | MWO Dubai only |
| Visa issued in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain or Ras Al Khaimah | MWO Dubai |
That Tadbeer rule is explicit and worth checking before travelling across the emirates.
Who needs verification at all
Contract verification is applicable for, but not limited to, first-time workers in the UAE, for example someone converting from a tourist visa or arriving from another country.
Everyone else is directed to log in at onlineservices.dmw.gov.ph, the DMW online services portal, rather than attending in person.
The office publishes separate download sets for domestic workers, including an addendum to the UAE Domestic Workers Contract, and for professional or skilled workers, plus an OWWA membership requirements list and an OFW Information Sheet.
The OEC is not issued here
Balik Manggagawa - Overseas Employment Certificate (BM-OEC) can only be acquired in the Philippines.
That is the sharpest difference from MWO Dubai, whose online system is integrated with OEC issuance. In Abu Dhabi the verification and the certificate are separate errands in separate countries. The OEC guide covers the certificate and the balik-manggagawa OEC guide covers the returning worker route.
What verification unlocks
| What | Figure | Where it is covered |
|---|---|---|
| OWWA membership contribution, as charged here | AED 92.00 | This page |
| OWWA membership contribution, published rate | USD $25.00 | The OWWA membership guide |
| OWWA membership term | Until the contract expires or 2 years from effectivity, whichever comes first | The OWWA membership guide |
| Travel tax, economy | ₱1,620.00 | The travel tax guide |
| Travel tax with a valid OEC | ₱0.00 | The travel tax exemption guide |
The ₱1,620.00 economy travel tax drops to ₱0.00 with a valid OEC, a full ₱1,620.00 saved per trip. That subtraction is arithmetic on the published rates.
Contact
| Other inquiries | 0547258482, during office hours |
| Online services | onlineservices.dmw.gov.ph |
| App | DMW Mobile App, Google Play Store and App Store |
The office also runs sections for Programs and Services, Labor Services, Hiring Filipino, Labor Education and PAOS, Welfare Services, Pag-IBIG, Anti-Illegal Recruitment, a FILCOM Corner and Databases. The recruitment agencies guide covers how to check a licensed agency, and the migrant workers office guide covers the network as a whole.
What this page does not cover
The page read for this guide publishes fees, the appointment policy, the walk-in window and jurisdiction, but the requirement checklists themselves are behind download links that were not opened, so no document list is stated here. It also does not publish processing times or a fee for any service other than the two above.
Related
The MWO Dubai guide covers the northern emirates and the online verification route, the MWO Riyadh guide covers the largest Gulf post, the migrant workers office guide covers the 20-post network, and the OWWA membership guide covers the welfare fund.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does MWO Abu Dhabi charge?
- AED 40.00 to verify an employment contract and AED 92.00 for OWWA membership. Payment is cash only, which the office states explicitly.
- Can I just turn up?
- No. The office runs a No Appointment, No Entry policy and says it is strictly implementing it. For contract verification and OWWA membership it also requires confirmed flight tickets with the receipt.
- When exactly can I go?
- 1 to 3 working days before your flight, from 11am to 1pm Monday to Thursday, and 10am to 11am on Fridays only. The Friday window is 1 hour, so plan around it.
- Who actually needs contract verification here?
- First-time workers in the UAE, for example someone converting from a tourist visa or arriving from another country. The office says the list is not limited to that. Everyone else is directed to log in at onlineservices.dmw.gov.ph.
- I have a Dubai visa. Can I go to Abu Dhabi?
- Not if your employer is a Tadbeer Dubai employer. The office states that Dubai visa holders with Tadbeer Dubai employers must be processed only at MWO Dubai. This office covers Abu Dhabi Emirate only, meaning Al Ain and Abu Dhabi visa holders.
- Can I get my OEC here?
- No. The office states that the Balik Manggagawa Overseas Employment Certificate can only be acquired in the Philippines. Verification here, OEC there.
- How many copies should I bring?
- Complete sets. The office asks applicants to bring all required documents in a complete set to avoid inconveniences, and repeats the reminder in Filipino. It publishes separate download sets for domestic workers and for professional or skilled workers.
- What if I have other questions?
- The office publishes 0547258482 for other inquiries during office hours. It also asks users to register at onlineservices.dmw.gov.ph and download the DMW Mobile App from Google Play or the App Store.